This was my first marathon, but I have done several half-marathons before.

Let me start with the best aspects. The spectators and support were top-class. I counted no fewer than 5 live music bands. You never ran alone and people cheered for you like crazy. Plenty of refreshments throughout the race.

Half of the course is great; the other half is so-so. The part of the course that runs through the city center is winding but beautiful. The not-so-pretty part is when you actually go near some factories and a fenced road.

My main complaint is about the organization. To get your pre-race goodies, you have to go to a far-away shopping center. To get there, you need the tram and then a bus. I wasted three hours that I would have otherwise used to do a bit of sightseeing. I was also carrying my family (three kids), and that didn't help. I was disappointed at the finish line to learn that the shower facilities were 15 mins away by foot. For an exhausted marathoner, this is the worst news you can get.

Overall, this was a good race with supportive crowds. But the organization should seriously consider centralizing registration and support facilities around the start/finish line.

The Graz Marathon (which I have run twice) is very well organized, with the administration procedures the day before running smoothly too. The marathon itself runs through the town, which will give you a chance to see how pretty Graz is. The crowd are very supportive and whatever your speed, you're never alone on the run - and no bunching up of runners. Just one little observation: watch out for the tram tracks! Overall, I would highly recommend Graz for your marathon calender.

The beautiful opera house is the center of this running event. Extraordinary!! Each runner can visit exclusively the opera 'Fidelio'.